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NEW YORK — Americans are paying the least to fill their vehicles in almost two years as refiners
process the most crude oil in a decade, offering some relief to nervous consumers.

The national average retail price sank 1.1 cents to $3.211 a gallon on Friday; that was the
lowest since Dec. 20, 2011, AAA, the nation’s largest motoring club, said on its website. Pump
prices are approaching the lowest since February 2011, just before unrest in the Middle East pushed
U.S. crude oil above $100 a barrel and gasoline near $4 a gallon.

In central Ohio, the average price was $3.13, down from $3.17 a day earlier and $3.31 a week
earlier. The last time the price was this low in the region was in January, AAA said.

The lowest price in the region was $2.92 at several stations, according to GasBuddy.com. One of
the stations with that price was M&S Carryout on the West Side, where drivers lined up to fill
their tanks.

“It’s good and bad,” said Chad Rasul, the station’s co-owner. “People are excited to get that
price, but they are annoyed to have to wait for it.”

U.S. refiners are processing the most crude and other feedstock for this time of year since
2003, having expanded to take advantage of surging domestic and Canadian supply. U.S. oil
production rose in October to the highest level since March 1989 as advances in drilling techniques
boosted output from shale formations.

The average U.S. retail price has fallen 38.3 cents since August, with the 2013 Atlantic
hurricane season — which ends Nov. 30 — shaping up to be the first in almost two decades without a
major storm disrupting Gulf Coast crude and fuel production.

Nearly 20 percent of U.S. gas stations were charging less than $3 a gallon on Friday, and only 2
percent were selling regular for more than $3.75, said Michael Green, an AAA spokesman. In 38
states there was at least one station that sold it for less than $3.

“There hasn’t been a major hurricane disruption, refineries have run smoothly, and there’s more
refining capacity in North America,” Green said. “We’re also looking at a time when you generally
see declining demand, a drop in the cost of oil, and a switch to less-expensive winter-blend
gasoline.”